As a shaman I use many tools in my services and practices. Recently I purchased a new deck of cards to be used to further my skills as part of a requirement with my work with my mentor and teacher. As I opened the fresh deck and sat with my cup of tea dreamily looking at each new card with wonder I remembered all the different times in the past that I have done this with other decks and even with other tools. My soul resonates with the possibilities. It feels as though every cell in my being is awake to the beauty and the energy unfolding around me. My mind trips away on the upcoming uses and explorations. My spirit sings!
My most recent deck is The Anubis Oracle: A Journey into the Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt . The images are magical, the messages and descriptions have me lost in ideas as I enter into my shamanic thoughts and see the lessons unfold in a powerful and inspiring ways. I am learning without even applying. Just feeling the connection to the cards, to the guides on each, and to the images that surround them I am aware that this will prove to be so valuable to my work. As Robert Moss, author, teacher and visionary of shamanic soul care and dreams stated, “Tarot images can be mirrors for the self. They can also be windows to something beyond the present self. We may be able to look through the painted image of a card, into a scene beyond it. The border of the card became a window. When I look through that window, I might find myself glimpsing an event in the future, or the dramas of lovers or rivals, or the play of elemental forces, or the workings of spirits behind the curtain of the world.” What a sacred way of viewing the images on these cards; so widely expansive.

I have experienced similar reactions to other instruments I now have in my sacred tool larder. I remember the very first time I held and beat my drum. I had spent hours, days even, crafting this frame drum from scratch, the beater adorned with colors and decorative charms and feathers that hold strong meaning to me and my connection to my drum. The first time I used my drum in a sacred act, tears sprung from my eyes and my heart raced. To this day, when I hold my drum, it is with the greatest respect and admiration of the bridge it creates for me to spirit and my guides.

What spiritual tools do you have in your life that serve you to connect with source? How do you resonate with them? If you are needing to add some positive energy to your spiritual path and are looking for ways to connect with passion and delight, perhaps a new tool is just what you need. Ask your soul what it longs for, take a quiet walk and see what the Universe suggests, or talk to some of your friends and see what they connect with and how or why. It could be a rattle, a key, a charm, a pendulum, a crystal, a pose…You may be delightfully surprised at what crosses your path and how alive you feel when you utilize it in your spiritual relationship. Imagine the possibilities!